Unable to set my CStatusBar background colour

Question

I am surprised that I can't do this because the File Explorer in Windows 11 has a dark statusbar. So initially I tried:

SetWindowTheme(m_wndStatusBar.GetSafeHWnd(), L"DarkMode_Explorer", nullptr);

And it did nothing. I then tried:

// Set dark mode background color
m_wndStatusBar.GetStatusBarCtrl().SetBkColor(DarkModeTools::darkBkColor);

And it still does not work:

Answer 1

You can draw the background in WM_ERASEBKGND and draw the text with Owner-drawn

A test in C++/Win32 :

#include <windows.h>
#include <tchar.h>

#include <commctrl.h>
#pragma comment (lib, "comctl32")

#include <Vsstyle.h>
#include <vssym32.h>
#include <uxtheme.h> 
#pragma comment(lib, "UxTheme")

#pragma comment(linker,"\"/manifestdependency:type='win32' \
name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' \
processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' language='*'\"")

HINSTANCE hInst;
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
int nWidth = 600, nHeight = 400;
#define IDC_STATUSBAR 10
#define IDC_BUTTON 11

VOID __inline UpdateStatusBar(HWND hWndStatusBar, LPCWSTR lpszStatusString, WORD partNumber, WORD displayFlags)
{
	SendMessage(hWndStatusBar, SB_SETTEXT, partNumber | displayFlags, (LPARAM)lpszStatusString);
}

LRESULT CALLBACK StatusBarSubclassProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, UINT_PTR, DWORD_PTR);

BOOL IsDarkMode();
BOOL _bDarkMode = FALSE;
COLORREF GetButtonBackgroundColor();
COLORREF _colorBackground = RGB(51, 51, 51);

typedef BOOL(WINAPI* fnAllowDarkModeForWindow)(HWND hWnd, BOOL allow);
fnAllowDarkModeForWindow pAllowDarkModeForWindow;

enum PreferredAppMode { Default, AllowDark, ForceDark, ForceLight, Max };
typedef PreferredAppMode(WINAPI* fnSetPreferredAppMode)(PreferredAppMode appMode);
fnSetPreferredAppMode pSetPreferredAppMode;

int APIENTRY wWinMain(_In_ HINSTANCE hInstance, _In_opt_ HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, _In_ LPWSTR lpCmdLine, _In_ int nCmdShow)
{
	hInst = hInstance;
	WNDCLASSEX wcex =
	{
		sizeof(WNDCLASSEX), CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW, WndProc, 0, 0, hInst, LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION),
		LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW), (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1), NULL, TEXT("WindowClass"), NULL,
	};
	if (!RegisterClassEx(&wcex))
		return MessageBox(NULL, TEXT("Cannot register class !"), TEXT("Error"), MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
	int nX = (GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN) - nWidth) / 2, nY = (GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN) - nHeight) / 2;
	HWND hWnd = CreateWindowEx(0, wcex.lpszClassName, TEXT("Test"), WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, nX, nY, nWidth, nHeight, NULL, NULL, hInst, NULL);
	if (!hWnd)
		return MessageBox(NULL, TEXT("Cannot create window !"), TEXT("Error"), MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
	ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
	UpdateWindow(hWnd);
	MSG msg;
	while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
	{
		TranslateMessage(&msg);
		DispatchMessage(&msg);
	}	
	return (int)msg.wParam;
}

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
	static HWND hWndButton = NULL;
	static HWND hWndStatusBar = NULL;
	int wmId, wmEvent;
	switch (message)
	{
	case WM_CREATE:
	{
		hWndButton = CreateWindowEx(0, L"Button", L"Click", WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | BS_PUSHLIKE, 100, 60, 60, 32, hWnd, (HMENU)IDC_BUTTON, hInst, NULL);

		HMODULE hDll = LoadLibrary(L"UXTheme.dll");
		pSetPreferredAppMode = (fnSetPreferredAppMode)GetProcAddress(hDll, MAKEINTRESOURCEA(135));
		if (pSetPreferredAppMode)
			pSetPreferredAppMode(AllowDark);
		pAllowDarkModeForWindow = (fnAllowDarkModeForWindow)GetProcAddress(hDll, MAKEINTRESOURCEA(133));
		if (pAllowDarkModeForWindow)
			pAllowDarkModeForWindow(hWndButton, TRUE);		
		
		SetWindowTheme(hWndButton, L"Explorer", NULL);

		_bDarkMode = IsDarkMode();	

		hWndStatusBar = CreateWindow(STATUSCLASSNAME, L"",
			WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | SBS_SIZEGRIP,// | SBARS_TOOLTIPS,
			0, 0, 0, 0, hWnd, (HMENU)IDC_STATUSBAR, hInst, NULL);
		RECT rect;
		GetClientRect(hWnd, &rect);
		int ptArray[5];
		ptArray[0] = 0;
		ptArray[2] = rect.right;
		ptArray[1] = ptArray[2] - 300;
		ptArray[0] = 100;
		SendMessage(hWndStatusBar, SB_SETPARTS, sizeof(ptArray) / sizeof(ptArray[0]), (LPARAM)(LPINT)ptArray);
		UpdateStatusBar(hWndStatusBar, L"Part 0", 0, SBT_POPOUT | SBT_OWNERDRAW);
		UpdateStatusBar(hWndStatusBar, L"Part 1", 1, SBT_POPOUT | SBT_OWNERDRAW);
		UpdateStatusBar(hWndStatusBar, L"Part 2", 2, SBT_POPOUT | SBT_OWNERDRAW);
		SetWindowSubclass(hWndStatusBar, StatusBarSubclassProc, 0, 0);
		return 0;
	}
	break;
	case WM_DRAWITEM:
	{		
		DRAWITEMSTRUCT* lpDIS;
		lpDIS = (LPDRAWITEMSTRUCT)lParam;
		int savedDC = SaveDC(lpDIS->hDC);
		if (lpDIS->hwndItem == hWndStatusBar)
		{
			RECT rect;
			COLORREF crOldTextColor, crOldBkColor;
			int nOldMode;
			WCHAR sDrawText[255] = L"";

			int nID = lpDIS->itemID;
			CopyRect(&rect, &lpDIS->rcItem);
			if (lpDIS->itemData)
				lstrcpy(sDrawText, (LPWSTR)lpDIS->itemData);

			nOldMode = SetBkMode(lpDIS->hDC, TRANSPARENT);
			if (nID == 0 || nID == 1 || nID == 2)
			{
				if (nID == 0)
					crOldTextColor = SetTextColor(lpDIS->hDC, RGB(0, 0, 255));
				else if(nID == 1)
					crOldTextColor = SetTextColor(lpDIS->hDC, RGB(0, 255, 0));
				else
					crOldTextColor = SetTextColor(lpDIS->hDC, RGB(255, 0, 0));
				//crOldBkColor = SetBkColor(lpDIS->hDC, GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE));
				
				DrawText(lpDIS->hDC, sDrawText, -1, &rect, DT_SINGLELINE | DT_VCENTER | DT_NOPREFIX);								

				SetTextColor(lpDIS->hDC, crOldTextColor);
				//SetBkColor(lpDIS->hDC, crOldBkColor);				
				SetBkMode(lpDIS->hDC, nOldMode);
			}
		}
		RestoreDC(lpDIS->hDC, savedDC);
		return 1;
	}
	case WM_SETTINGCHANGE:
	{
		WCHAR* plParam = (LPWSTR)lParam;
		if (plParam)
		{
			if (lstrcmp(plParam, TEXT("ImmersiveColorSet")) == 0)
			{
				_bDarkMode = IsDarkMode();
				RedrawWindow(hWndStatusBar, NULL, NULL, RDW_UPDATENOW | RDW_INVALIDATE | RDW_ERASE);
				SendMessageW(hWndButton, WM_THEMECHANGED, 0, 0);
			}
		}
		return 0;
	}
	break;
	case WM_SIZE:
	{
		SendMessage(hWndStatusBar, message, wParam, lParam);
		return 0;
	}
	case WM_COMMAND:
	{
		wmId = LOWORD(wParam);
		wmEvent = HIWORD(wParam);
		switch (wmId)
		{
		case IDC_BUTTON:
		{
			if (wmEvent == BN_CLICKED)
			{
				Beep(1000, 10);
			}
		}
		break;
		default:
			return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
		}
	}
	break;
	case WM_PAINT:
	{
		PAINTSTRUCT ps;
		HDC hDC = BeginPaint(hWnd, &ps);

		EndPaint(hWnd, &ps);
	}
	break;
	case WM_DESTROY:
	{
		PostQuitMessage(0);
		return 0;
	}
	break;
	default:
		return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
	}
	return 0;
}

LRESULT CALLBACK StatusBarSubclassProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, UINT_PTR, DWORD_PTR)
{
	switch (msg)
	{
	case WM_ERASEBKGND:
	{
		RECT rect;
		GetClientRect(hwnd, &rect);
		COLORREF color = GetButtonBackgroundColor();
		HBRUSH hBrush = CreateSolidBrush(color);
		FillRect((HDC)wParam, &rect, hBrush);
		DeleteObject(hBrush);
		return 0;
	}
	break;
	}
	return DefSubclassProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}

BOOL IsDarkMode()
{
	DWORD nValue = 0;
	DWORD nSize = sizeof(nValue);
	HKEY hKey;
	if (RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
		L"Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Themes\\Personalize",
		0, KEY_READ, &hKey) == ERROR_SUCCESS)
	{
		RegQueryValueEx(hKey, L"AppsUseLightTheme", nullptr, nullptr, (LPBYTE)&nValue, &nSize);
		RegCloseKey(hKey);
	}
	return nValue == 0; // 0 = Dark mode, 1 = Light mode
}

COLORREF GetButtonBackgroundColor()
{
	if (IsDarkMode())
		return _colorBackground;
	return GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE);
}

Answer 2

Hi,

Set theme CMFCVisualManagerOffice2007 Office2007_ObsidianBlack is an option.

Use MFC class and C(MDI)FrameWndEx class.

CMFCToolBar m_wndToolBar;

CMFCStatusBar m_wndStatusBar;

DockPane(&m_wndToolBar);

Best regards,

Minxin Yu

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